The Real Estate Team that Comes with Guarantees
By Maggie Caldwell
Adam Andrus and Michelle Jordan of Andrus Estates succeed by guaranteeing virtually every aspect of buying and selling real estate. “We put our money where our mouth is,” says Adam. “We have our own way of doing things, and we stand behind our performance.” Doing it their own way means offering financial incentives to buyers and sellers if they DON’T get the job done.
Guaranteed Listing Price
Andrus Estates stands apart from other real estate models in several important ways. A cornerstone of their program is the listing price guarantee they offer to their sellers. Adam explains, “We stand behind our performance, and that means we put our money where our mouth is. For sellers, we guarantee that they get their listed price, or we’ll pay them the difference.*”
There’s more; not only does Andrus Estates promise you’ll get your price, but if you don’t sell your home at the asking price within 90 days, “We’ll pay YOU for each month it does not sell thereafter.*” Adam and Michelle offer these guarantee because they’re confident with their knowledge of the market as well as their ability to sell.
“Our job is to be the guides in the home selling/buying process and to be informed about the market. If we are good guides, we’ll get the job done very quickly,” says Adam. “We provide sellers with a professional services agreement detailing everything we will do: marketing, how we will handle buyers, the type of buyers we are targeting. If we don’t honor our professional services agreement, we will pay a portion of your closing costs.*”
Andrus Estates has an in-depth marketing program designed to funnel qualified buyers to the sellers. They hire professional photographers who also use drones to conduct aerial tours of properties for sale. They use a “talking house” system: when a potential buyer drives up to a house for sale, there’s a sign telling them to tune into a radio frequency that loops information about the house all day and night. Those who want more information or a showing call an 800-number, at which point Adam follows up in person.
“I meet with potential buyers before showing them a home,” he explains. “I don’t just run out and show properties to anyone who wants to see it.” He points out that walk-throughs are an imposition to the seller, and that his team’s desire is to limit those impositions by making sure the buyer is qualified before they are shown the house.
Andrus Estates markets each property to 2,500 of the Bay Area’s top agents. They benefit from American Dream Realties continued investment in their web presence to show up on the first page of Google’s natural search. “It’s very expensive, but it’s worth it,” he says. “It’s super important, say if you live out of town and type in “Santa Cruz real estate” we want our website to be at the top so our sellers homes receive the greatest market exposure.”
Guaranteed Communications
Adam points out that it’s common for sellers to get upset when they perceive their agent is not staying in touch. Andrus Estates holds themselves accountable via a self-imposed fine for unanswered questions and missed updates.
“We guarantee our communications with people,” says Adam. “Our job as agents is not just to sell your house, but also to communicate with you. We promise to update sellers weekly or pay a portion of their closing costs. When they pose a question, whether phone or email, we return with an answer within one business day or pay a part of their closing costs.*”
Guaranteed Buyer Protection
Andrus Estates is committed to helping buyers find the perfect home to match their needs, and they know it may take some time. “We’re not here to just shove buyers in a house,” says Adam. “We work with our buyer clients to find the perfect home.” That “perfect home” may not be obvious – at any one time, in addition to homes on the open market, they provide their clients access to many homes that are not being sold only by word of mouth.
“We specialize in getting in touch with homeowners who don’t want a listing on the open market. We cast a wide net. When they meet your needs, these deals can represent a really good situation for buyers.” And in the end, Andrus Estates guarantees you will be happy with your choice. “We guarantee they will love their house to the point that we offer a Buyer Protection Plan. If you’re not satisfied with your house and want to sell within a 12-month period of time, we sell it for free.*”
Guaranteed Teamwork
Andrus Estates functions as a true team, where each member dedicated to one aspect of helping clients buy or sell homes. “There’s a division of labor here,” says Adam. “Each person focuses on one aspect of the business, like legal, marketing, and escrow.” This way, at each step along the road to buying or selling a home, clients always have a person looking out for their interests and to get the sale closed smoothly.
The programs in place at Andrus Estates have been so successful, they’ve won awards from American Dream Realty for being a top producer. Their parent company had also adopted disclosures developed by Andrus as their new standard. They are also committed to giving back to the community: If someone refers them a client who buys or sells a home, at the close of the escrow, they donate $100.00 to the Children’s Miracle Network.
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If you are in the market to buy or sell a home, visit Andrus Estates online at http://andrusestates.com. You can also call Adam Andrus at 831-566-8075 or email him at [email protected]
*terms/conditions apply